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There are times when people report an issue to an open source project and the response is "You should fix it yourself". Open source contribution happens when t
by rendaw 8y ago
There are times when people report an issue to an open source project and the response is "You should fix it yourself".
Open source contribution happens when the contributor has invested themself in the project and wants to maintain the relationship. Perhaps the requester is evaluating multiple packages and wants to inform the project why they're going with another one instead. Maybe they got to the point in their evaluation that they're ready to commit only to discover a critical issue hidden in the (lack of) documentation.
It also comes off as hostile since implies that the requester's time is less valuable than the project maintainer's. Perhaps the requester is busy contributing to other open source projects. Perhaps the requester only has time right now to use the software, but has the goal of contributing in the future.
The project's maintainer's responsibility is maintaining the software, presumably because of some personal interest. Reporting and even expecting them to fix issues is absolutely normal.
- matheusmoreira 8y ago>implies that the requester's time is less valuable than the project maintainer's It is. In large projects, there are relatively few maintainers responsible for evaluating the requests, reports and code from lots of people. They're scarce resources. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMeH7wqOwXA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMeH7wqOwXA https://www.slideshare.net/linaroorg/maintainer https://www.slideshare.net/linaroorg/maintainer
- jancsika 8y agoI find if you maintain an open source project as if your users were customers, things tend to go pretty smooth.
- yawaramin 8y agoCan you explain how you found that?
- jancsika 8y agoBy trying it, and realizing afterwards that nothing bad happened as a consequence. The main benefit is that it forces one to try to be professional and consistent, and to avoid being flippant, cryptic, didactic, and condescending. Keep in mind that cutting customers loose is a natural part of the game, too. If someone demands to get a Big Mac at Chipotle there's no law that says they get to block the line for eternity.
- edflsafoiewq 8y agoSmooth for whom? Not the one beholden to a bunch of non-paying "customers" I'd wager.
- jancsika 8y agoWhat is the bad thing you posit would happen when a bunch of non-paying "customers" are treated in a professional manner?